Population 22,040 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lower West Side
Household size in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.12 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.05 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.77 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Lower West Side are small: just 2.35 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.12, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.7 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.5 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.8 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.7 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Lower West Side is young: half of its residents are under 34.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 29.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Lower West Side (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 6.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lower West Side
Renters in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 72.4% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 68.7% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 65.8% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Lower West Side: 65.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (41.7%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.3 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Lower West Side as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Chicago area (7.2%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 7.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1942 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Lower West Side is a place of older homes: half were built before 1942, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1938 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $787 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $851 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $998 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,316 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$529 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lower West Side pays $1,316 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $529 a month from 2006–10, a 67% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 26.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lower West Side
Bachelor's degrees in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.5% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.0% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +19.7 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Lower West Side than nationally: 39.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 19.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.3% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 64.8% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.9% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.6% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +19.3 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Lower West Side never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 19.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Lower West Side has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Chicago neighborhoods.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lower West Side
| Period | Lower West Side | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Lower West Side: 8.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.9 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lower West Side compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower West Side | 2.35 | 34.7 | 11.1% | 65.8% | 9.3% | 1942 | $1,316 | 39.0% | 75.6% | 8.0% |
| Pilsen | 2.21 | 33.5 | 5.1% | 75.8% | 9.3% | 1947 | $1,463 | 43.1% | 83.1% | 5.5% |
| University Village | 2.13 | 30.3 | 7.0% | 67.8% | 6.5% | 1986 | $1,676 | 67.1% | 94.1% | 7.5% |
| Locks | 2.46 | 32.6 | 9.9% | 46.5% | 6.8% | 1946 | $1,472 | 38.5% | 78.0% | 6.4% |
| Claremont Cottages | 2.22 | 33.6 | 7.6% | 59.4% | 11.8% | 1986 | $1,803 | 59.1% | 93.1% | 9.2% |
| Bohemian California | 2.75 | 37.3 | 12.9% | 64.2% | 9.6% | 1944 | $1,129 | 22.3% | 70.2% | 6.3% |
| Near West Side | 1.86 | 33.6 | 7.8% | 69.1% | 6.5% | 1994 | $1,949 | 63.1% | 93.8% | 8.3% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.77 | 43.8 | 8.2% | 24.0% | 12.9% | 1938 | $1,199 | 28.4% | 77.9% | 7.0% |
| Ducktown | 2.60 | 41.1 | 11.2% | 32.0% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,202 | 32.7% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| Bridgeport | 2.38 | 40.2 | 7.3% | 50.5% | 6.9% | 1954 | $1,366 | 40.4% | 84.4% | 5.8% |
| Armour Square | 2.47 | 43.5 | 12.7% | 61.9% | 6.4% | 1965 | $1,056 | 28.3% | 71.4% | 11.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA · Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA · Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CA · Hunts Point, Bronx, NY · Kalihi Valley, Honolulu, HI · Maplewood-Ashcreek, Portland, OR · Airport, Honolulu, HI · Mountain View, El Monte, CA · Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA · Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lower West Side. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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